All-in-one ‘Beeper’ Chat App Brings iMessage to Android and Windows Using Workaround

The new universal chat app “Beeper” combines 15 different chat platforms in one inbox and offers iMessage on Android and Windows (via The edge).

The app comes from a team including former Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky, and allows users to integrate a range of messaging services including WhatsApp, SMS, Signal, Telegram, Slack, Twitter, Skype, Hangouts, Discord, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger, all in one searchable inbox. Most striking is the support for Apple’s iMessage, as it is only officially available on Apple devices.

The application is “using a trick“To achieve this, the website FAQ revealing that an always-online Mac running the Beeper app is required to use it as a bridge. Alternatively, Beeper will send a” jailbroken iPhone with the Beeper app installed that bridges to iMessage “to users unable to use a Mac.

The app is based on the open-source Matrix messaging protocol. While the clear short-term goal is to make it easier to chat between different services, Migicovsky discussed the possibility of all users gradually switching to the open source matrix itself to chat, rather than just using it as a bridge between services.

Beeper will cost $ 10 per month for its hosted option and should be available on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. Potential users can request an early invitation to join the app on the Beeper website.